De mooiste dingen in het leven zijn gratis.

Interview met landschapsfotograaf Guy Tal

‘Where do you think the ability of seeing beauty in chaos comes from? Does it take talent, does it take work? Which one is more important?

The word I like to use is “awareness”. Talent, to me, is a proclivity towards skilled labor – or craft – rather than emotional or creative pursuits. When it comes to appreciation of beauty, we are all equally endowed. The hurdle is in letting go of prejudice, cynicism, and distractions. In order to see it, you must first want to see it. There is certainly a degree of skill involved, though it is one that can be learned and practiced. A recent study I saw tracked the eye movements of artists and non-artists when studying a scene. While non-artists will instinctively gravitate towards the most obvious or “important” elements in the scene, artists’ eyes tend to scan and wander, establishing context and relationships rather than merely trying to ascertain what they are looking at. This too, requires slowing down. Still, when practiced sufficiently, it becomes natural and intuitive.’